Meet the Team | On Gallows Hill

About Us

ON GALLOWS HILL

Recent University of Michigan grad Ed Shimborske gathered over 100 + artists from around the country to make the script in the back of
his journal a reality. Pulling every favor humanly imaginable and raising over $10,000 on Indiegogo, Ed and the team shot over the summer
of 2023. After 3 months of shooting, Ed worked tirelessly for the next two years with the post teams on special FX, animation, and editing.

Sienna Petersen

Producer/AD

Sienna Petersen is an award-winning director and producer with over 30 credits ranging from short films to feature length movies. From sketch comedy to horror, Sienna has a passion for bringing meaningful stories to the big screen.

Ed Shimborske

Writer/Director

Growing up as an outcast in the
midwest, creating art was my outlet
for expressing myself. I’m interested
in using multimedia in order to
capture emotions and characters at
their deepest level- and the overlap
between myth and feeling.

Luke Rademacher

Assistant Director

Luke is a creative worker looking to expand his horizons working in media production. As a graduate of the University of Michigan with a degree in Film, Television, and Media, he has a wealth of practical production experience on variety of different project. With a particular interest in Assistant Directing and Production Management, he hopes to merge his creative side with his knack for logistics and organization.

DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT

I was 21 years old when I penned On Gallows Hill - and I’m now
24 finishing it. Written during a particularly directionless time in
life, I used ‘the vampire’ as a way of expressing this nihilism and
overall feelings of being ‘lost’ I was contending with. After all (if
you’re a vampire), what’s the point of living at all, if every day is
the same? On Gallows Hill is as much a coming of age story with
vampires, as the making of is my own coming of age tale. This
project is a labor of love to the films that inspired me that I’ve
spent the past 3 years of my life on- and I hope that you enjoy all
the blood, sweat, and tears the team has put into it
(keyword:blood).

Josh chapp

Composer/Sound engineer

Josh Chapp is a composer, producer, and audio engineer from Wolverine Lake, Michigan. Josh’s music writing style is always influenced by his desire to include live instrumentation and real, original sounds. For the original score in On Gallows Hill, Josh features experimental string techniques, various breaths, 80s-inspired synthesizers, and a mechanical cathedral organ to power the story of the vampire world.

Avril Niemann

Production Designer

Avril is a Set Designer based in Savannah, Georgia. Traditionally a stage designer, her theatrical flair makes a film debut in On Gallows Hill. Working with the art team, Avril designed and sourced all of the sets/props used in the film.

Tye Kalinovic

Production Designer

Tye is a lifelong artist with a passion for creative work ranging from paintings to sticker designs to short films. Graduating from the University of Michigan's film program, he has years of work experience as an art director for both student and client projects alike, with additional advertising and graphic design work under his belt.

Sydney Schauwecker

Practical Effects & Makeup

Sydney is an award-winning makeup artist based out of Toledo, Ohio.. With more than 10 years of experience in practical and special effects, beauty & theatrical makeup, this is her first feature film. In Toledo, she works year round as a resident makeup artist for local theaters. A passionate lover of Halloween since a young age, she has spent years recreating her favorite movie makeup looks and props, as well as developing her own.

Nia Kalinovic

Costume Designer
Nia is currently studying creative advertisement and graphic design at Michigan State University, while also being an avid fashion and upcycling fan. In spring of 2023, she had the honor of designing for a fashion show hosted by VIM, a student-run magazine at MSU.

Jianmarco Barbeau

Stunt Designer

Jianmarco is an Ann Arbor based stuntman and performer. Growing up in the business, he has the unique perspective of coming to stunts FROM stunts rather than from gymnastics, martial arts, etc., like most others. He has spent much of his life with a sword in his hand or jumping from high buildings, hoping he set the pad up right. While a good deal of his experience comes from live stunt shows and circus, he has worked on a number of films and shorts in Michigan

Brian Derry

Matt Snell

Editor

Jamal Jackson

Director of Photography

Editor

Brian is a 2023 graduate of the University of Michigan. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Film, Television, and Media (FTVM) at the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts. He is extremely passionate about film, videography, and all sorts of media. He has been editing since he first got his hands on Adobe Premiere Pro at age 8. Since then, he has worked for clients big and small on a multitude of stunning projects with roles ranging from editor to producer to director.